More than 130 people from the farming community attended an event coordinated by FCN volunteers in Dorset on 19 December.
The event is part of our ‘Yarn in a Barn’ project, supporting our volunteers in bringing local farming communities together to socialise and to discuss topical issues in farming, whilst presenting solutions and ideas.
One farmer who attended said: “π π₯π°π―βπ΅ π¨π° π°πΆπ΅ π·π¦π³πΊ π°π§π΅π¦π―, π΅π©π’π―π¬ πΊπ°πΆ – π π©π’π·π¦ π³π¦π’πππΊ π¦π―π«π°πΊπ¦π₯ πͺπ΅β
Yarn in a Barn is a timely initiative – research by FCN andΒ University of ExeterΒ into loneliness and isolation in farming highlighted the importance of social events in helping to address these issues:Β https://lnkd.in/evvE_ufu
And a survey coordinated this month by FCN and the other Farming Help charities (Addington FundΒ andΒ Forage Aid) as part ofΒ LAMMA Show & LAMMA365Β found that the strong sense of community is a vital part of UK agriculture, and one of the things farmers are most proud of:Β https://lnkd.in/eQekV7px
Yarn in a Barn is made possible in Dorset thanks to the support of the Richard Oatley Trust. Throughout 2023, FCN is planning many more Yarn in a Barn events across England and Wales supported by the Mercer Charitable Foundation, with events in the South West of England supported by the Richard Oatley Trust.
Q&A with attendee
What do you feel went well with the Dorset FCN Yarn in a Barn?
I think the event was very well organised and ran very smoothly – there was enough time to mingle but no time to get bored! I was also pretty impressed with how many people came.
Why did you decide to attend this event?
I decided to attend the event because FCN is a charity that I would like to support – I think the work you do is fantastic and absolutely necessary. It was also a good opportunity to grab a few people and get out of the house on a dark evening, instead of sitting at home and watching TV!
Why are social opportunities such as this important for people in agriculture?
I think events like these are important for people in agriculture as they provide a reason / an opportunity to go out and socialise. Especially on dark winter nights, it is so easy to stay at home, and depending on farm size, some people may not see anyone during the day either so it can get quite lonely. The dark winter months can be depressing for everyone, but itβs harder when you donβt share them with anyone!